Pebbles are a change in time for watches

Gone is the time when you struggle to get out your excessively large phablet out of you tight jeans in a meeting just to see that your mum has text to tell you she has just #figured #how-to #hashtag #everything. Introducing the Smartwatch.

I think most people in the “smartphone” world know that smart watches are the next big thing. Today there are all different types of smart watches out for sale to the consumer. For example companies that have jumped on the band wagon are FITBIT smart sport watches, Samsung, Motorola, LG and even Apple which a bit late to the party but never the less have a watch releasing soon too. This all had to start somewhere though, some small start-up that saw the potential in smart watches and want to express their passion with the world. The one that to get it all started; Pebble Technology.

Back in 2011 Pebble Technology was born from one creator with what he thought was an amazing idea; a Smart Watch. After get a few people behind him and concepts and prototypes developed a Kickstarter campaign was started in 2012. The company predicted they needed $100,000 to get off the ground and start selling Pebbles the consumer market. What they didn’t predict though was the campaign to get funded and then pass the goal by 10,266%, yes TEN THOUSAND PERCENT. When the record breaking Kickstarter campaign closed an amazing $10,266,845 had been raised. Something no one predicted. And this watch still only had a black and white screen. The company started growing from 9 up, to the 130 employees it has today, with the first Pebble watch was released in 2013. In 2014 they released a new Pebble the Pebble Steel, a steel version of the watch.
At the time of writing Pebble Technology has another Kickstarter campaign, the colour screen version of the watch with a new design and UI. This campaign is breaking records again. Why?
Because it has just past $20,000,000 and climbing by the minute. They only wanted $500,000. Again that is huge for a small start-up company just a few years ago.

As you can see not only do I and the 140,000 Kickstarter backers think this is the next big thing but it has become it too. Watches haven’t changed hardly at all in the last 20 years and it was about time they became the next big thing. It has changed what a watch can be, not only does it just tell you the time it can show you have received messages, emails, have an incoming call, schedule information and even view and change the song you are listening to right from you wrist. Messages and the likes will pop up on your wrist, meaning that you can prioritize incoming information depending on your situation and it importance.
I think that it is an awesome move forward in the industry. It has pushed technology to become smaller yet offer more features. Other Smartwatch providers are pushing more technology into their watches too. For example square and round touch screens, GPS functions and even their own 3G antennas for network connection.

Pebble Technology hasn’t gone without its problems though. No one could predict the huge campaigns that they had on Kickstarter and while this is a good thing it is also a bad thing. Because of the massive demand that came there was some delay in the releasing of the first Pebble. Also with more money meant larger milestones where expected meaning more work for Pebble Technology. I can also imagine that there rapid expansion in employees wasn’t without its problems.

Another issue is with the watch becoming so popular other companies want in the market too. So Pebble went from having no competition to having a large number of companies with way more to spend on development and advertising to compete against. But if the latest Kickstarter campaign is anything to go by I don’t think they will be disappearing anytime soon.

So next time you have struggled to get your phone out of your pocket to see mummy’s not so important text message, I think it is time you get a Pebble and leave that #text (not saying mum isn’t important) to after the meeting.